Swiss French 18 carat gold anker chronometer Circa 1885

Gold full hunter made for the South American market
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A very fine and heavy Swiss French 18 carat gold full hunter cased anker chronometer pocket watch made for the South American market, circa 1885. Rhodium plated and guilloché anker chronometer movement with gold gear, screwed gold chatons and anker with counterweight, large gold screw compensation balance, special lever. Very fine champlevé gold ornamented dial typical for the South American or Spanish market, Roman hours, subsidiary seconds and blued steel spade hands. Case with deep floral engraving, blank cartouche on the front, elaborately guilloché on the inside, large outer hinge, Swiss gold stamps in all lids. Dust cover signed and numbered and inscribed with the characteristics of the movement. Punch mark of Armand Schwob & Frère.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 136 g
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Signed: Armand & Cie Genève
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Armand Schwob & Frère was founded on 1st November 1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The owners were the brothers Armand & Abrabam Schwob. In Paris, the company was represented with a sales point on the boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle 19. The company became known for its ‘Mystérieuse’ pocket watches, which are still very sought after among collectors today. The company received two Swiss patents and an English patent in 1888 for transparent watches. After a name dispute with Patek Philippe, which led to a process, the company had to pay 15,000 francs reimbursement, of which they did not recover and were declared bankrupt in 1892.